Sri Lanka, April 13 -- Betel prices surged rapidly as demand for the leaves spiked ahead of the New Year celebrations. Reports indicate that a standard bundle of betel leaves is now nearing the 400 rupee mark in the market.

Additionally, smaller bundles are selling for close to 200 rupees. A significant drop in the betel harvest due to the prevailing dry weather also contributed to this sharp price increase.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hiru News....